Demolition and Preservation Rules Compared: Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest and Hinsdale (2026)

How long can Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest or Hinsdale hold up the demolition of an older house, and what does each village ask for?

If you are weighing a teardown, or a renovation big enough that the village may treat it like one, the local demolition rules set your calendar. Neighboring towns handle this very differently. We read the current code and village pages for all five and collected the answers here, with a link to each source.

Short answer. As of September 2026, Lake Forest has the longest default wait, two years from a demolition application unless an exception applies. Highland Park can impose a 180-day or 365-day delay depending on how many landmark standards a house meets. Winnetka can delay a significant house up to 270 days, which the village says makes a typical review 300 to 330 days. Glencoe lists a minimum 60-day wait. Hinsdale requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, with a mandatory preliminary design review, to demolish a landmark or any house in the Robbins Park Historic District.

The five towns at a glance

The table is a summary. Each village applies its rules to a specific house, and several of these rules changed in the last two years, so confirm the current process with the village before you sign a design contract.

Winnetka: preliminary review, impact study, then a possible delay

Winnetka’s demolition chapter, Chapter 15.52, works in stages. Within 60 days of a complete application, the commission decides whether the house has enough historic or architectural merit to require a full historic and architectural impact study. Owners of properties within 250 feet are notified before that meeting.

If a study is required, the owner pays for it. It covers the ownership history, every exterior alteration since construction, the architects involved, landmark status, the effect on the immediate neighborhood, and the features worth preserving. Once the study is filed, the commission has 60 days to decide whether the demolition would lose a significant building. If it would, the commission can order a delay of up to 270 days, counted from its preliminary determination. The owner has seven days to appeal to the Village Council.

The village’s summary page gives the realistic numbers. A house found significant typically takes 300 to 330 days from a complete application. One that needs a study but is not found significant takes 60 to 120 days, and one that needs no study takes 30 to 60 days. The same 2021 ordinance created a 20% maximum building size bonus for significant homes that are kept and not altered in a way that destroys their significance. If your family needs more room, that bonus can allow a large addition on a lot where the zoning limits would otherwise stop it.

Highland Park: the number of landmark standards sets the delay

Highland Park’s rule is Section 170.122 of the city code, published in the city’s building code amendments. It covers houses in the residential zoning districts. Demolition means removing or destroying 50 percent or more of the structure, so a deep gut renovation can fall under the rule.

A complete application goes to the Historic Preservation Commission within 10 days. Within 60 days, the commission meets to decide how many of the landmark criteria in Chapter 24 the house satisfies.

• Two or three standards, with enough integrity to be worth preserving, bring a 180-day delay.
• Four or more bring a 365-day delay.
• The delay starts on the date the application was deemed complete, and no demolition permit is issued during it.
• The applicant can appeal to the City Council within 15 days. The Council can uphold the delay, cut it from 365 to 180 days, or end it.
• If the house is not demolished within 365 days after the delay ends, or within two years of a complete application when no delay was imposed, a new application is required.

A house listed as “non-contributing” in the city’s architectural survey can skip commission review if the commission chair approves in writing. The commission’s page shows how the rule plays out. In January 2026 the commission imposed a 365-day delay on a house at 1375 Sheridan Road that met 5 of the 9 landmark criteria. That delay expires December 8, 2026.

Lake Forest: a two-year default and a broad definition of demolition

On timing, Lake Forest’s Section 150.148 is the strictest of the five. A demolition permit is issued only two years after the application unless an exception applies. The exceptions are a structure made hazardous by fire, other damage or deterioration, a finding after a Building Review Board public hearing, or a City Manager determination that the demolition clearly meets the criteria. When the owner plans a replacement house, none of those exceptions can shorten the two years until the City Council has approved the replacement building.

The Building Review Board application, updated April 2026, lists five demolition criteria, and the petitioner answers each one in writing.

• The house has no special historical, architectural, aesthetic or cultural significance.
• Renovation options that keep the character of the house were explored, with repair and code-compliance costs.
• The structure is unsuitable for use or is a health or safety hazard, supported by an independent structural engineer’s report, which the city notes “is not a maintenance report.”
• The demolition and replacement will not hurt neighborhood property values, supported by an appraiser’s report.
• The replacement will fit the neighborhood’s character, shown with streetscape drawings.

The same packet defines demolition as removing all or any part of an exterior wall, foundation or roof, and gives a significant change to the front façade or the addition of a second floor as examples. The board meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Houses in the five local historic districts go to the Historic Preservation Commission instead. It meets on the fourth Wednesday and has no December meeting on its 2026 schedule. The city’s district page has an interactive map. Board approvals are valid for two years unless a building permit is obtained in that time.

Glencoe: a short wait now, a new fee and rebate in 2027

Glencoe’s demolition status page says structures face a waiting period of at least 60 days, and neighbors are notified when an application is filed. If a new house is proposed, staff approve several sets of plans and inspect the property before the old house comes down. Staff review of new home plans averages 8 to 12 weeks.

Certified landmarks follow a different rule. According to the village’s landmark designation page, no permits are issued to alter or demolish a certified landmark’s exterior unless the Historic Preservation Commission permits it.

On May 21, 2026, the Village Board adopted a preservation package. It rewrites the preservation code, gives landmark properties zoning relief on bulk, setback and dimensional rules, and adds a new residential demolition fee. It also sets up a pilot rebate of up to $10,000 of village permit fees for approved landmark projects over $50,000, subject to funding. The fee amount will be set with the 2027 budget this fall, and the village expects to start collecting the fee and paying the rebate on January 1, 2027. If you are planning a teardown in Glencoe, your filing date may affect what you pay.

Hinsdale: design review before the formal application

Hinsdale requires a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes to designated landmarks and for demolishing, relocating or building a new house in the Robbins Park Historic District. The 2025 application packet lays out the steps.

• Mandatory preliminary application. Required to demolish a designated landmark or any house in Robbins Park. Within 15 days of filing, the village names an ad hoc Design Review Team, which meets with the owner and the design professional within 30 days. The village estimates this stage at about two months.
• Possible impact study. The team can require a full historic and architectural impact study, prepared at the owner’s cost.
• Formal certificate. The packet goes in at least 30 days before a commission meeting, and zoning compliance is checked first through a building permit submittal. The commission meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Demolition and new construction need a public hearing, with certified-mail notice to owners within 250 feet. The village estimates 1 to 3 months.
• Appeal. A denial can be appealed to the Village Board within 15 days, which the village says may add 1 to 2 months.

The village states that the commission’s decision is binding on designated landmarks and advisory for other buildings in historic districts. The design team is meant to see concept plans before an owner pays for full drawings, so use it that way.

How we plan around these rules

When a family asks us to price a teardown or a large addition in one of these towns, we work through a few steps before anyone pays a design fee.

• First we check the status of the house. Landmark designation, historic district boundaries and survey ratings come before anything else, and planning staff will usually tell you over the phone.
• Then we test whether the plan counts as a demolition. A second-floor addition in Lake Forest, or a gut renovation in Highland Park that removes half the structure, can trigger the same review as a full teardown.
• We get the structural evaluation early. Lake Forest requires an independent report for demolition. In other towns, a report on whether the house can carry an addition helps decide which path to take.
• We price the renovation option honestly, because several of these reviews ask what keeping the house would cost. Our own 2026 planning figures for additions in the Chicago suburbs run $200 to $400+ per square foot, and second-story or multi-room additions start around $150,000 to $300,000+. North Shore finishes and masonry matching push toward the top of that range and beyond.
• Finally we build the calendar backwards. Board meeting dates, submittal deadlines and the months with no meeting go into the schedule before the first drawing.

For the decision itself, see our guide on whether to renovate, add on or tear down, and our new construction page for custom homes.

Common questions

Which North Shore town has the longest demolition wait?

Lake Forest. The code sets a two-year wait from the application unless an exception applies or the City Council first approves the replacement house. Highland Park’s longest delay is 365 days, and Winnetka’s is 270 days.

Does a demolition delay mean the village can stop a teardown?

In Winnetka and Highland Park, the delay is a waiting period meant to give time to explore alternatives. Designated landmarks are another matter. In Glencoe no permit is issued for a certified landmark without the commission’s permission, and Hinsdale’s decisions are binding on designated landmarks.

Can a large renovation trigger demolition review?

Yes. Lake Forest treats the addition of a second floor or a major front façade change as a demolition, and Highland Park’s rule applies when 50 percent or more of the structure is removed.

Is there any benefit to keeping an older house?

Winnetka offers up to a 20% building size bonus for significant homes that are kept. Glencoe adopted zoning relief for landmark properties and a permit fee rebate of up to $10,000 for landmark projects over $50,000, expected from January 2027.

When should we contact the village?

Before you hire anyone to draw. Lake Forest suggests a predevelopment meeting with planning staff, and Hinsdale’s design review team is set up to see concept plans. An early conversation costs little and can save months.

Plan the approval before the design

ADS serves Lake Forest, Hinsdale, Winnetka, Glencoe and Highland Park and plans additions, whole-house renovations and custom homes there. If you are deciding between keeping a house and replacing it, book a free in-home consultation. We will look at the structure with you, check how your village’s rules apply, and lay out a realistic calendar for each option.

Sources checked September 25, 2026. Village rules change; confirm current requirements with your village before design or construction.